During my 38 years of smoking, I puffed over a quarter million cigarettes, and even though I’ve not smoked in over a year now, I’d be a liar if I said that I still don’t crave a cigarette every waking hour. Smoking is one powerful addiciton . . .
It's still amazes me that 60 million Americans still smoke in 2009, over 20% of the population!
There is a huge demographic shew, with the uneducated and low wage earners making-up the largest share of smokers.
My doctor says that there are some rules for becoming an indignant ex-smoker, foremost that you not smoke for at least a year (the relapse rate for smoking is quite high, even after 6 months).
Nasty anti-smoking campaigns
The worst Nanny State for anti-smoking is California where they do radio advertisements to encourage people to harass smokers. The message went something like this:
“Every minutes over a billion Californians die from inhaling second hand smoke.
Don’t let these murderers kill your family.”
When I smoked I was always amazed at the delusional Californians. On the surface they claim to be liberal, but they are among the worst Nazi’s when it comes to violating smokers’ rights!
It's bizare, but in California people tolerate smoking Marijuana in public but cigarette smokers risk physical violence, even for lighting-up on a windy beach! In kown some people who call California "The land of fruits and nuts" . . .
Fear of death campaigns
As an ex-smoker, I was always greatly bothered by the fear of death campaigns.
However, I've watched several loved-ones die a painful death from lung cancer, and that was not enough to make me quit smoking.
Some folks may remember Yul Brenner pleading with people to quit smoking as he died from lung cancer, and I think that the fear of death ads the the most effective, even if the public at-large find them super-gross. Look at this one:
This one makes a great point. "quitting is hard, but not quitting is even harder:"
Anyway, I’m now an official indignant ex-smoker and I’m entitled to harass and annoy smokers freely. I can:
- Mock smokers, suggesting that they are weak-willed pussies because they cannot quit.
- Remind smokers that their clothes smell like those of a 50 year-old crack whore.
- Tell smokers about how lung cancer will cause them unbearable pain and agony before it kills them.
- Feign coughing and hacking to harass any smoker who dares light-up anywhere in my line of sight.
- Advise people on how to quit smoking (My tips to quit smoking)